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Marvin · 06-19-2001, 05:52 AM

MK,

I was just thinking about the multiple Vendors when I opened your posting. This may be a very viable answer to some of the change in small details on the grips. The only problem with this hypothysis is that if Mauser made approx. 120,000 Lugers in 1941 and the same in 1942 (Just rough numbers not exact) then if an averasge of 25% of these have the plastic grips, then there would have been approx. 30,000 sets made each year. In molding this material, it takes approx. 15 sec. to drop the mateial into the mold, 15 sec. for the mold to close, one (1) minute to cure the plastic, 15 sec to open the mold, 10 sec. to removed the parts, allow cooling while the operation begins again, 15 sec. to remove the flash and put into a box. This is 130 sec total to produce the parts. I would assume the mold would be a four (4) cavity mold making two (2) sets at a time. In 130 sec. they make two (2) sets of grips. With this, it would take 541.6 hours to make one (1) years production run, or 67.7 days based on an 8 hour day. My opinion is that there was probably only one manufacturer and he ran them on an "open machine" basis. This manufacturer MAY have been the same ones making the grips for the P.38, I don't know, but it makes some sense to do this since they are set up and have the equipment. All the change would be is the mold and the type material.

Now, all the above is a hypothisis only for discussion, but I feel that there were probably multiple molds for the grips and this could account for the minor differences in the grips.

For a "faker" to make this mold, the cost would be very expensive and you don't see these grips being offered as repros that often. To recoup his investment, he would have to sell a lot of grips and I just have not seen them on the market that much. Most of the plastic grips I have seen are not of that good of a quality and they can be spotted real quick. The color is not correct, the inside is not correct and most noticeable is that the checkering is not correct with defects.

Now, another question from me; why the screw threads on the inside? G.T.'s point on being able to remove from the mold is probably the correct answer, but there are ejection pin marks on the inside. This would mean the grips were molded with the checkering "up" and the inside "down". When the mold opens, the checkering would "hang" in the mold and the ejection pins would puch the parts from the bottom of the mold. If the threads, or screw, was part of the mold, then the operator would have to "unscrew" each grip from the mold. Not very efficient, but works well.

Another factor which is not in my small calculations above is the scrap rate. I would imagine that this would be in the area of 15-20% reject rate, so the above calculation would have to be increased by that amount

Sorry for the long post, but what are other thoughts?

Marvin

06-19-2001, 05:52 AM	#7
Marvin User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Upstate S.C. Posts: 1,132 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Multiple Vendors????? (Long) MK, I was just thinking about the multiple Vendors when I opened your posting. This may be a very viable answer to some of the change in small details on the grips. The only problem with this hypothysis is that if Mauser made approx. 120,000 Lugers in 1941 and the same in 1942 (Just rough numbers not exact) then if an averasge of 25% of these have the plastic grips, then there would have been approx. 30,000 sets made each year. In molding this material, it takes approx. 15 sec. to drop the mateial into the mold, 15 sec. for the mold to close, one (1) minute to cure the plastic, 15 sec to open the mold, 10 sec. to removed the parts, allow cooling while the operation begins again, 15 sec. to remove the flash and put into a box. This is 130 sec total to produce the parts. I would assume the mold would be a four (4) cavity mold making two (2) sets at a time. In 130 sec. they make two (2) sets of grips. With this, it would take 541.6 hours to make one (1) years production run, or 67.7 days based on an 8 hour day. My opinion is that there was probably only one manufacturer and he ran them on an "open machine" basis. This manufacturer MAY have been the same ones making the grips for the P.38, I don't know, but it makes some sense to do this since they are set up and have the equipment. All the change would be is the mold and the type material. Now, all the above is a hypothisis only for discussion, but I feel that there were probably multiple molds for the grips and this could account for the minor differences in the grips. For a "faker" to make this mold, the cost would be very expensive and you don't see these grips being offered as repros that often. To recoup his investment, he would have to sell a lot of grips and I just have not seen them on the market that much. Most of the plastic grips I have seen are not of that good of a quality and they can be spotted real quick. The color is not correct, the inside is not correct and most noticeable is that the checkering is not correct with defects. Now, another question from me; why the screw threads on the inside? G.T.'s point on being able to remove from the mold is probably the correct answer, but there are ejection pin marks on the inside. This would mean the grips were molded with the checkering "up" and the inside "down". When the mold opens, the checkering would "hang" in the mold and the ejection pins would puch the parts from the bottom of the mold. If the threads, or screw, was part of the mold, then the operator would have to "unscrew" each grip from the mold. Not very efficient, but works well. Another factor which is not in my small calculations above is the scrap rate. I would imagine that this would be in the area of 15-20% reject rate, so the above calculation would have to be increased by that amount Sorry for the long post, but what are other thoughts? Marvin